I believe we all have a place, and a purpose. Mine is to create something anything with my hands.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Just an Update

December was a busy month, it also gave me time to re-evaluate just how things are going at Hartley Soap, I was gearing up for the new year and shopping/restocking supplies I will need for the year.

I was amazed at how much the price of oils have gone up, close to 30% in the last 4 weeks and wonder just how high they will continue rise?

Retail soap pricing for years stayed around $1.00 per oz, but that has changed with the increased cost to make it, so I got to thinking, do I need to re-evaluate my retail pricing? After all I have checked out others in the same business and the prices are all over the board any where from $4.00 to $16.00 for a 5oz bar of soap. Yet my soap bars remain at $6.00 bar.

Now let me say we all use basically the same ingredients, but we may not have the overhead that others do or we are not able to purchase our oils in larger volume (Barrels), to cut cost.

I have the passion, desire and experience to create a top quality product, one that is better for your skin, and not a mass produced by some big factory and then sold by the "Big Box Stores” my soap is not full of chemicals none of us can pronounce.

Making and selling quality handmade soap used to be a small cottage industry, but that has change with the growing internet resources and market places to sell. While I don't think soap making is rocket science, I do think many people rush to market without a good understanding of what a good finished product is or should be.

So when soap makers wonder why customers complain at the "high" price of handmade soap. some of what is out there isn't worth the price, especially this days when anyone can do it and not have a good understanding of the science behind it.

So when you find that Artisan Soap Maker that has years of experience and uses top quality ingredients and they just happen to knows her/his stuff let me just say it is worth every penny!